The present invention relates generally to lubricating gears and bearings in gearboxes and, more particularly, to a right angle gearbox with improved lubrication characteristics.
Right angle or T-style gearboxes, which have input and output shafts that are perpendicular to each other, are widely used in industrial drive applications. These types of gearboxes can be operated in both a horizontal (with both shafts positioned horizontally) and a vertical (with one shaft positioned horizontally and the other vertically) configuration. Typically, the shafts are coupled to bearings, and oil or lubricants are provided in the gearbox to lubricate both the gears and the bearings. When used in a horizontal configuration, the input and output shafts are in substantially the same plane, and lubricants provided adjacent the gear can be easily spread or “splashed” onto the bearings and along the shaft as the gear rotates to lubricate the bearings and prevent overheating and premature wear.
When the gearbox is operated vertically, however, the bearings are offset vertically from the gears and lubricants provided in the gearbox. One or more bearings, therefore, is offset at a height well above the first bearing and associated gears. Gravity, therefore, prevents lubricants in the gearbox from being splashed or splattered onto the bearing to lubricate the upper bearing. Typically, to provide sufficient lubrication, an oil seal is provided below the upper bearing or between the first and second bearings, and a resultant void is filled with grease. Alternatively, a grease fitting can be provided in the housing.
While providing sufficient lubrication, traditional methods of retrofitting a gearbox for operation in the vertical position are time consuming, messy, and expensive. There remains a need, therefore, for a right angle gearbox which can be operated in a vertical position while providing sufficient lubrication to all of the gears and bearings.